It's always a dilemma - determining if seed will grow into a high-yielding crop under all kinds of weather and soil conditions.

It's possible, however, for seed and grain producers to learn about how a variety or hybrid will perform under various conditions throughout the state by entering the Kansas Crop Performance Tests for 2004, conducted by Kansas State University Research and Extension.

Performance tests are available this spring for alfalfa, soybeans, grain sorghum, corn, summer annual forages, and sunflowers, said Kraig Roozeboom, coordinator of the Kansas Crop Performance Tests program. Wheat tests are offered in the summer for fall planting.

The tests are designed to evaluate the agronomic performance of varieties and hybrids of the various crops at locations representing the major growing areas in the state for the particular crop. For example, tests on grain sorghum are conducted at Colby, Tribune, Garden City, St. John, Hutchinson, Hesston, Parsons, Strong City, Ottawa, Manhattan, Powhattan, Belleville, Scandia and Hays. The different locations subject the varieties to a range of conditions.

The program accepts crop varieties and hybrids likely to be offered for sale in Kansas.

"Seed companies traditionally have submitted entries for the tests. However, seed companies often do not enter the varieties or hybrids of particular interest to the producers in a given area," Roozeboom said. "Local seed company representatives, individual grain producers, or groups of producers can submit varieties or hybrids for the tests. Anyone interested can watch our Website, http://www.ksu.edu/kscpt, for a daily-updated list of entries in the various tests. If people see a gap in entries, they can give me a call or download the entry forms and decide if they want to make an entry themselves.

"A new feature this year is the supplemental tests. These are aimed at seed companies who want to evaluate a whole set of their material that may be a year or two from commercial release. They may not have research facilities or cooperators at places where we do."

The biggest difference between the supplemental tests and the regular performance tests, he said, is that the results from the supplemental tests will not be published in the annual performance test reports.

For most crops, tests conducted under irrigated and non-irrigated conditions are available, Roozeboom said. Weeds and insects will be controlled with pesticides and other means, as necessary.

Details about the performance tests include:

* Alfalfa - Entries, fees and seed are due March 1. Seed for fall- planted tests must arrive by Aug. 1. Test sites include irrigated and non-irrigated plots. The fee is $475 per entry per test for one seeding year and three harvest years.

* Corn - Entries and fees are due March 1, and seed is due by March 8. The fee is $125 per entry per test.

* Summer annual forages - Entries and fees are due March 10, and seed is due by March 17. Late seed is due by April 1. The fee is $200 per entry per test.

* Grain Sorghum - Entries and fees are due March 15, and seed is due by March 22. Late seed is due by April 8. The fee is $125 per entry per test.

* Soybeans - Entries and fees are due March 18, and seed is due by April 1. Late seed is due by April 8. The fee is $125 per entry per test.

* Sunflowers - Tests on sunflowers will be coordinated by the K-State Research and Extension Center in Colby. More information on sunflower tests is available by calling 785-462-6281.

"Entrants need to notify us if seed will not be available by the seed deadline so we can plan accordingly," Roozeboom said. "However, seed can be accepted no later than the late seed deadline under any conditions. If seed of an entry isn't available by the late deadline, a substitute may be accepted if we already have the seed for other locations."

For more information or for entry forms for the performance tests, interested persons can contact Roozeboom at 785-532-7251 or at kraig@ksu.edu. They also can visit the K-State Research and Extension Kansas Crop Performance Test Website at http://www.ksu.edu/kscpt/.

K-State Research and Extension is a short name for the Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service, a program designed to generate and distribute useful knowledge for the well-being of Kansans. Supported by county, state, federal and private funds, the program has county Extension offices, experiment fields, area Extension offices and regional research centers statewide. Its headquarters is on the K-State campus in Manhattan.